Sebastian Michaelis
Sebastian Michaelis (セバスチャン ミカエリス Sebasuchan Mikaerisu) is the butler of the Phantomhive household and acts as Ciel Phantomhive's bodyguard. He is also briefly part of the Noah's Ark Circus, where he goes by the stage name Black (ブラック Burakku). Sebastian often describes himself through the phrase "I am one hell of a butler" (わたしはあくまで執事ですから watashiha aku made shitsuji desukara). The phrase plays on the word "demon" (あくま akuma) and the phrase "to the end" (あくまで aku made) and it can also translate to "I am a demon and a butler." Appearance Sebastian appears to be a youthful male with red-orange eyes and dark hair that occasionally appears black and occasionally appears dark brown. He is typically dressed in a distinguished outfit consisting of black trousers, tailcoat, vest, tie and shoes with a white button-down shirt. He wears white gloves that cover up the sign of his Faustian contract with Ciel Phantomhive, which is on his left hand. When they are off, it is shown that he has black fingernails, although it is unknown if this is their natural color. He frequently carries a pocket watch as well. When in tutor mode, he also wears glasses, although it's unknown if he actually needs them or not. He slightly resembles Ciel's father, and has had his attractiveness commented on before.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 6, page 8''Kuroshitsuji'' manga, Chapter 7, page 8 In the anime, when he becomes King Edward's and Richard's butler, his hair is much longer, and is pulled back by a black ribbon. He also wears a slightly different suit with a lacy ascot tie. Sebastian's demonic form has never fully been shown. Details including high-heeled boots, longer fingernails, pink irises, slitted pupils, black flesh and sharper, longer teeth are all that have been revealed.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 19, page 11''Kuroshitsuji'' manga, Chapter 10, page 17-18''Kuroshitsuji'' anime, Episode 24 In the anime, he also has the ability to transform into a crow, although this has never been said or implied in the manga. Personality Sebastian is a dutiful and dedicated butler and bodyguard to Ciel. He follows each order faithfully, and ensures that the Phantomhive house runs smoothly. The way he responds to Ciel's demands is quite notable, as the servants are pleased when they can successfully imitate the way he says, "Yes, my lord," to Ciel.Kuroshitsuji anime, Episode 9 Despite this, he does not appear to truly care about Ciel or his well-being, as he frequently teases Ciel ''Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 28, page 23 and occasionally puts his life in danger for his own amusement.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 28, page 11 An additional example of this is when he responded to Ciel's kidnapping as "terrible," but only because the tea he prepared would go to waste. He calls Ciel a "brat" who treats his workers rudely. Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 5, page 9 He also seems to find humans, in general, to be "difficult creatures," but he also states that their struggles and lofty goals make them "interesting." He views Finnian, Mey-Rin and Baldroy as incompetent idiots who he must look after and redo tasks for. Nonetheless, he does so cheerfully, usually stating that he understands that mistakes happen. However, he seems to place Tanaka in high regard, frequently telling him that he is doing just fine and ordering the other servants to look to Tanaka as an example. Furthermore, he seems to view Agni as a valuable resource on taking care of Ciel, as he frequently follows Agni's advice, much to the latter's chagrin. He calls Agni a "really capable person" and is shocked that such people exist.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 17, page 23 Agni also referred to them as friends, which Sebastian finds surprising, as no one has called him such before. To others, he generally appears cheerful, quiet and capable, but Prince Soma, Mey-Rin, Finnian and Baldroy have given indications that they are frightened of him, as shown when the servants become terribly distressed when they do something they think will upset him, and when Soma hides behind other people, such as Ciel and Agni, when speaking to Sebastian.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 19, page 19 Soma has also been seen running away from Sebastian or physically crouching with a look of fear when Sebastian comes near him.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 19, page 20''Kuroshitsuji'' manga, Chapter 23, page 26 Sebastian seems to find this amusing and uses their fear to manipulate them into doing what he asks. One human who is shown to thoroughly dislike him is Frances Middleford, who calls Sebastian "indecent" and "inappropriate." However, despite this, there seems to be a feeling of mutual respect between the two, as Sebastian hopes that Ciel can look to Frances as a role model, and Frances tells Sebastian that he is the type that will "never be taken advantage of."Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 14, page 34 It is shown that Sebastian adores cats of all types, because they don't do or talk about useless things and "there is nothing cuter." He even forgives a tiger for biting him and stops Beast from whipping the tiger.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 24, page 28-29 However, despite his love for cats, he despises dogs, because they make loud, barbaric sounds.Kuroshitsuji anime, Episode 7 Additionally, it is known that Sebastian does not sleep, except as a luxury,Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 27, page 3 and frequently does tasks for Ciel at night. Sebastian also has a great distaste for Shinigami, a feeling that is returned.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 26, page 41 However, in the anime, he is much more willing to seek help from them than he is in the manga. Demon's Contract thumb|right|100px|Sebastian's Faustian contract displayed. Sebastian is bound to Ciel through a Faustian contract. The contract is essentially a scar that allows a demon the ability to easily locate the individual he or she contracted with. For Ciel, it holds great authoritative power, regardless of where he is at. All the same, he will never be able to escape Sebastian. While full details have not been revealed, it is understood that Sebastian took the role of Ciel's bodyguard and butler until Ciel completed a personal mission of revenge. For that reason, Sebastian is not his real name, and was in fact, formally the name held by Ciel's dog, but was given by Ciel for his role of butler. His job is to serve Ciel, including mundane tasks such as fixing tea, and protect him from death until his mission is complete. In return, Sebastian will receive Ciel's soul in the end. The sign of this contract is on both Sebastian's left hand and Ciel's right eye. Sebastian refers to this as a "collar." Sebastian seems to have chosen Ciel intentionally, as he later stated that he has "no interest in poor-quality souls," suggesting that Ciel was selected for the quality of his soul.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 26, page 28 History thumb|left|90px|A pet from Sebastian's world. Little has been revealed about Sebastian's history, except that he first came to Ciel after Ciel was killed in a ritual sacrificing.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 19, pages 10-11 Ciel ordered him to slay his attackers, which seems to be the beginning of their contract. When Sebastian was summoned in the manga, he appeared in his true demon form, while in the anime, he appeared as a crow. Also of note, he appears in front of Ciel's slayers in the manga, while in the anime, he appears in a limbo world. It is understood that this incident occurred some time between two and three years before the beginning of the main storyline.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 6, page 33''Kuroshitsuji'' manga, Chapter 28, page 17 Sebastian stated that, in the past, he engaged in "messily sampling every dish available," and has since resorted to only consuming high-quality souls. As a result, he is, apparently, starving, but states that the dinner will be that much better the hungrier he is. Additionally, it is known that Sebastian's real home is in an alternate world, but it is quite different from the human world, and is also said that Sebastian has been alive for at least 100 years.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 4, page 28 In the anime, he also claims to be responsible for the spread of the Black Death, which occurred about 500 years before the main storyline.Kuroshitsuji anime, Episode 20 Little else has been shown. Manga's Synopsis Kidnapping Sebastian first appears waking Ciel and informing him about the expected day's events. He then proceeds to prepare for the evening's special guest, Clause. The bumbling of the other servants almost causes catastrophe, but through quick thinking and quick reflexes, Sebastian is able to keep things running smoothly. A few days after Clause's visit, Ciel is kidnapped by a drug dealer named Azzurro Vanel of the Fener family. When Ciel refuses to supply the information Azzurro is seeking, the dealer orders his snipers to kill Ciel's servants. When a sniper misses hitting Sebastian, he is alerted to his presence. The snipers leave in a vehicle, but Sebastian runs quickly enough to stop the vehicle. He gathers information from Azzurro's servants and informs Azzurro that he intends to pick up Ciel. Once he arrives, he is attacked, but is able to calmly eliminate most of Azzurro's defense using silverware. Sebastian then enters the room where Ciel is being held and moves to provide the requested ransom. Hidden gunmen then inflict what appears to be fatal gunshot wounds on Sebastian, but he recovers quickly and returns the bullets by spitting them out of his mouth. He eliminates all of Ciel's kidnappers, refusing Azzurro's of women and money if he left Ciel to work for him, and returns Ciel home. Jack the Ripper Ciel decides to spend the social season at his manor in London, where he discovers his aunt Angelina "Madame Red" Durless, her butler Grell Sutcliff and family friend Lau looting through his house in search of tea. As Sebastian prepares some, they gather information of the murders performed by an unidentified serial killer, labeled Jack the Ripper by police and other prostitutes. They determine that the removal of the murdered women's wombs had to have been performed by an expert, meaning an individual with anatomical knowledge. thumb|right|190px|Sebastian rescues Ciel from being auctioned off. Sebastian quickly makes a list of potential suspects and whittles it down to the Viscount of Druitt, Aleister Chamber. They decide to attend a party Aleister is holding in disguise, with Ciel dressing up as Madame Red's niece. During the party, Sebastian creates a diversion by pretending to be a hired magician, so Ciel can investigate Aleister. Shortly thereafter, Ciel is drugged and whisked off to a hidden room in the manor where Aleister has begun to auction him off. Sebastian rescues Ciel, Aleister is arrested and they believe that the culprit of the murders is now safely behind bars. However, another murder takes place, indicating that they have not yet found the real murderer. Sebastian and Ciel review the previous murders, and learn of the next likely victim. They lie in wait outside her home, sure that if the murderer were to enter, they would see him or her. However, the woman is killed anyway, and upon inspecting her home, they find Grell standing over her body. Madame Red and Grell confess that they are Jack the Ripper. Sebastian deals with Grell in his Shinigami form, whose modified death scythe is able to injure Sebastian. When Madame Red moves in to attack Ciel, Sebastian momentarily returns to his demon form and moves to kill her. Ciel orders him to stop, because Madame Red hesitates in her attack. Grell kills Madame Red when she refuses to kill Ciel, and Ciel orders Sebastian to eliminate Grell. Sebastian manages to overpower Grell, and moves in to kill him with his own death scythe. However, just as he is about to deliver the finishing blow, William Spears appears and stops him. Sebastian apologizes for his failure to kill Grell, but Ciel dismisses him. Curry Contest After the murders stopped, London faces another problem; British citizens who have recently returned from India are the victims of an attack that leaves them stripped and handing upside-down outside of Indian pubs. Ciel, Sebastian and Lau begin their investigation and are attacked by some Indians. Prince Soma and Agni help them out and reveal that they are in town to find Soma's servant, Meena. In return for their assistance, they come to stay at Ciel's manor, where Sebastian learns that Agni is on par with his fighting abilities, despite being just a human. That night, Agni leaves the manor, and Lau, Ciel, Some and Sebastian follow him to Lord Harold West's home. They discover that Agni is working for West, and has knowledge of Meena's whereabouts. Soma bursts in, but Agni obeys West's orders and begins to attack Soma. Sebastian bursts in to save Soma, albeit in disguise. Back at the manor, they speculate that West wants to win the upcoming curry competition in order to obtain a Royal Warrant. The attacks, then, were done to terrorize any competitors into backing out. Ciel decides he would like to obtain the Warrant instead, and orders Sebastian to make a competition-worthy curry. Soma acts as a taste tester, while Sebastian works on replicating the quality of Agni's curry. After finally achieving it, Ciel says it's not enough to merely be on par with Agni, and that he needs to win. Sebastian insists that he has a plan. At the competition, it appears that Sebastian is ruining his curry by having the heat up too high and that he is not able to make a perfect naan under the conditions provided. When it comes time to present their curries, Agni immediately wins favor, while the judges mock Sebastian's doughnut. However, once they taste it, they are evenly split over which curry is better and declare a tie. Queen Victoria arrives, though, and declares that Sebastian's is the winner, due to its appeal to people of all ages. Agni and Soma make up, and Agni tells Sebastian that he is a good friend. Noah's Ark Circus Ciel and Sebastian are sent out by the Queen to investigate the disappearances of children that seem to coincide with the presence of the Noah's Ark Circus. They attend a show, and Sebastian is invited onstage, where he is bitten by a tiger. After the show, Joker approaches him and takes him to see Doctor to ensure that he is okay. While there, he learns that many of the performers have prosthetic limbs, and he investigates Beast's leg. Beast, however, accuses him of being rude, and Dagger attack to defend his sister's honor. Due to his skill in evading the attacks, Joker is impressed and invites him to join the circus. Sebastian agrees and brings Ciel to take the entrance test, which he is able to pass with Sebastian's interference. Joker takes them on a tour of the tents. Afterward, Sebastian tells Ciel that the children aren't present and suggests they inspect the first-tier members' tents that are protected by Snake's poisonous snakes. They work on assimilating in with the rest of the members while they wait for an opportunity to investigate further. They are given stage names, with Sebastian's name being Black. While in the practice tent, they discover that William Spears is also present, under the name Suit. They agree to not interfere with each other, which is made more difficult by Spears' assignment as Sebastian's tent mate. His presence prevents Sebastian from investigating while the circus members are sleeping. thumb|left|190px|Sebastian smiles to the audience after finishing a trapeze act. During a performance, Sebastian and Ciel are able to infiltrate the first-tier members' tents, which is possible because Sebastian captured the snakes. However, when Wendy is injured, Sebastian is asked to stand in for her and Spears is asked to stand in for Peter. Ciel investigates further on his own, and asks Sebastian to hurry back before the first-tier members do, in order to re-release the snakes. When Spears makes this more difficult by refusing to touch Sebastian, Sebastian grabs his death scythe, so they can finish the performance. After the show, he is able to hurry back and release the snakes. Ciel reveals the information he was able to gather, and asks Sebastian to further investigate. When the first-tier members learn that Ciel and Sebastian were present in their tents, Joker leaves to consult Father, and Sebastian takes advantage of Beast's distress over him leaving in order to seduce her to reveal Father's name. In the morning, Sebastian and Ciel leave for the London manor, where Ciel attempts to prepare for further investigation. However, because Ciel is sick, Agni convinces Sebastian that part of his duty is to look after his master's health. Much to Ciel's dismay, Sebastian follows this advice, and delays him from confronting Baron Kelvin until that night. Upon reaching the manor, Ciel and Sebastian learn that Joker and Baron Kelvin were expecting their presence and prepared dinner. Sebastian tests the wine for poison, but Ciel says he has no intention of eating. Baron Kelvin has Joker put on an impromptu circus act, using the untrained, kidnapped children for the cast. After two children are killed by their acts, Ciel orders Sebastian to put a stop to it. Ciel pulls a gun on Baron Kelvin and orders him to lead them to the kidnapped children's whereabouts. He then learns that the Baron has recreated the day Ciel was used as a sacrifice, which results in Ciel shooting him. When Joker attempts to go to his father's aid, Sebastian cuts off his left hand. Doctor arrives and reveals that he used the kidnapped children to create the prosthetic limbs the cast members wear, and Sebastian comments on their quality. Doctor then grabs one of the kidnapped children and moves in to kill her. Upset, Ciel orders Sebastian to stop him and burn the place down. Sebastian obeys, using the sign of his contract to use nearby candles to ignite the mansion. Sebastian then carries Ciel out, where they encounter Doll. Doll is upset upon learning of Joker's death and attacks them. Sebastian is later seen walking away from the mansion, and it is implied that he killed her.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 36, pages 22-24 Afterward, Sebastian boards a train with Ciel, and is forced to join him in first class, as third class was full. There, he questions Ciel's kindness with visiting the Renbon Workhouse, where the first-tier members grew up, and comments that it is at odds with his willingness to slay the children he was supposed to save. When Ciel states that it is because they would be better off dead, Sebastian calls him arrogant. After the train ride, they get a short ride from a local to a hill that they climb to find the workhouse. There, they discover that the workhouse is in ruins, and must have been long abandoned. Sebastian comments that Baron Kelvin lied, and he likely allowed Doctor to carve up the brothers and sisters Joker referred to for more artificial limbs. When Ciel finds it amusing, because it was just like a human to fight to defend something nonexistent, and he comments that he himself is a human like them, Sebastian cheerfully agrees and says that humans are interesting. Anime's Synospis Relevant differences between the manga and anime will be covered here. It should be noted that the Noah's Ark Circus storyline is manga exclusive. Houndsworth He accompanies Ciel to the village of Houndsworth to investigate the high number of deaths and continued dog fights, despite Queen Victoria declaring that it's animal cruelty. Sebastian, Ciel and the Phantomhive servants stay with Henry Barrymore and learn that the devil dog is a farce that he manufactured to keep the villagers under his control. They reveal this to the villagers, who carry Henry off, but that night Henry is taken from his cell and killed. After some investigation, they learn that there is a real devil dog, named Pluto, who Sebastian subdues, through what he calls a carrot and stick method. Angela reveals that Pluto was her dog, which makes Sebastian quite suspicious of her, as taming a devil dog is quite difficult. She then asks if she can send him back with them, which Ciel agrees to, knowing how much Sebastian hates dogs. Sebastian's finding of hot water while taming Pluto also makes the trip successful for the queen, as the town can now be modified into a spa resort. When they leave, it is shown that the village is happily working toward that goal. After their visit, Ciel tries to get a picture of Sebastian with a special camera that shows who the person cares about most who is not of this world. He enlists the help of Finnian, Mey-Rin, Baldroy and later, Lau, who are all also curious to see Sebastian expressing something human. However, Sebastian is able to avoid his attempts, and takes a picture of him instead, which shows that Ciel cares for Sebastian. Sebastian thanks him mockingly for the compliment the following morning, much to Ciel's annoyance. Shard of Hope When Ciel and Sebastian learn that the Shard of Hope ring is needed for evidence related to a string of kidnappings from Fred Aberline, they follow him to Undertaker's place to gather more information, and discover that the ring has been incorporated into the ice sculpture's contest's prize. They try to win the ring from the Frost Fair ice sculpture contest, and while Sebastian's ice sculpture is awe-inspiring, the original thieves of the ring bomb the ice, causing the ice to crack, and the ice sculpture the ring was in to fall. They decide not to worry about it anymore, as they have supposedly lost it to the frozen waters. However, it ends up in Elizabeth's hands anyway, and leads to Drocell Keinz kidnapping her, which they learn about from Paula. Ciel sends Sebastian off to gather more information while he invades the Mandalay manor with Pluto and Grell. Inside, he encounters Drocell and is rescued from Drocell's dolls by Sebastian. Sebastian reveals that Elizabeth must be in the sealed tower in the back, and they use Pluto to get in. Inside, they find her easily, but encounter Drocell again. After a brief fight with Drocell, they learn that he is being controlled by someone else, but Sebastian decides not to give chase, because the owner of the puppet controlling Drocell was not nearby. Afterward, as per Elizabeth's wishes, they celebrate Ciel's birthday with a small party including Elizabeth, Paula and the Phantomhive household. Curry Contest When Meena and other audience members go on the rampage from the spice curryma, Ciel has Sebastian force-feed them his curry bread, which cures them. As a result of this display, Queen Victoria declares their curry the winner. Haunted Castle Ciel learns the castle he's trying to modify into a hotel is home to two ghosts who are scaring off the workers. He and Sebastian go off to investigate, and encounter King Edward and Richard, two ghosts who have inhabited the castle since their deaths 400 years ago. Ciel initially loses Sebastian to them in a game of chess that Edward cheats at to win, because Richard has taken a liking to Sebastian. However, after learning more about them, Ciel and Sebastian help them find peace with their murders and they move on to heaven, allowing work to resume on the hotel. Book of Doomsday right|thumb|190px|Sebastian, Ciel and Grell covertly try to enter the convent. Ash informs Ciel and Sebastian about a cult that's planning to overthrow the government, and they go see Undertaker, as the cult has been taking shipments of coffins lately. With his help, they go in undercover, with Grell in tow, to investigate. They learn that only young boys who are a member of the heaven's choir can get close to the mysterious priest who oversees the cult. Ciel goes in and finds that a creation of his mother and father has been made into the priest, who Sebastian kills once it tries to strangle Ciel. Angela reveals herself and kidnaps Ciel, taking him to the Shinigami library. Sebastian and Grell give chase to try to stop her, but learn from William that if they interfere while she's changing Ciel's magic play, then they will alter his history. Nonetheless, Ciel is able to resist on his own. Angry, Angela goes on the rampage, but with Undertaker's aid, Sebastian, Grell and William stop her, for the time being. Conspiracy and Revenge When the body of John Stanley shows up in the river, Ciel and Sebastian try to retrieve something off of it, as per Ash's request on the queen's behalf. However, with so little to go off of, as Ash refuses to reveal any information about what precisely they're looking for, they go to Lau for help, who promises to spread a rumor on their behalf. Later, though, Ash has Aberline and Randall arrest them, stating that they found large quantities of opium in Ciel's warehouse. They separate the two, and Sebastian is tortured by Angela, for no particular reason. However, Ciel saves him by calling him and Ciel and Sebastian go after Lau, who has betrayed Ciel, themselves. left|thumb|190px|Sebastian is tortured by Angela. They chase Lau and Ran-Mao on to their boat, and Sebastian takes on Ran-Mao while Ciel confronts Lau. When Lau becomes violent, Sebastian saves Ciel, and Ran-Mao and Lau decide to jump ship, presumably to their deaths. A few days later, Sebastian and Ciel go to the exposition, where Queen Victoria confirms that she's responsible for Ciel's parents' murders. Ciel orders Sebastian to take out Ash and the queen, but their fight endangers the citizens below, so Ciel stops Sebastian, much to his annoyance. As a result, Sebastian abandons Ciel briefly, as he thinks Ciel's hesitation has made him unwilling to carry out his plan of revenge. Sometime later, when Sebastian sees Ciel regain focus in a burning London, he abandons Ash/Angela, who he had temporarily been keeping company, to go back to Ciel's side. Ciel then orders him to slay Ash, so they go confront him, and he is able to take Ash out by turning into his demon form. Afterward, they travel down a river that is playing Ciel's magic play and arrive at some peaceful ruins. There, Sebastian moves in and presumably consumes Ciel's soul. Quotes *"I am one hell of a butler." *(To Ciel, after he sees his face beaten up by Azzurro Vanel) "Your appearance is quite impressive. It looks nice and gruesome, not unlike a bug. It suits someone small and weak like yourself." *"As long as the young master has the sign of the contract, I am his faithful servant. And thus, I am bound to my master through the contract, until the time when his soul becomes mine." *(About Finnian) "I have lived for a long time, but this is my first time meeting a '''space alien'. What kind of counter-attack is that sparkly, smiley face expecting from me?" *"''It seems your talent for dancing is non-existent. It must be crushing, young master." *(While stepping on Grell's face) "Even though I dislike being kicked by others, I do enjoy the feeling of kicking others." *"Humans cannot reject temptation. When they are plunged into the depths of despair, likened to hell, they will hold on to anything that may help them escape from the situation they are in, even if it's merely a spider's thread, no matter what sort of humans they are." *"However, when trying to reach your goals, you need to learn how to eat some humble pie occasionally. If you don't, one small trip one day might mean your fall." *"Heaven? I don't have an affinity with that place." *(To the other servants) "Why don't you all kneel down on the ground and beg for even a mere scrap of Agni's talents? Perhaps it would even improve you a little." *"Well, aren't you a very small master. You have summoned me. This fact will not change for all eternity. What has been sacrificed will never be returned. Now ... choose."Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 19, page 11 *"It has nothing to do with England or India. No matter where or when, it's the same. Humanity, that is." *"Friends, is it? That's the first time anyone has said that to me." *(To William Spears) "My, my. How difficult to handle alone. But this large quantity of souls, shall a demon like me offer you assistance with them?" *(To Beast) "Ah, that was rude of me. I've never seen someone so shameless react so modestly, so..." *"As long as there is the contract, I will protect your life. However, if you make a mistake of your own accord, you will possibly suffer a painful experience while alive. You already know that, don't you?" *"Any game becomes boring when it lacks thrills." *(To Doctor) "Indeed, your handmade artificial limbs have an enchanting feel to them, like Chinese-made bone porcelain tableware." Trivia *Sebastian's name is similar to Father Sebastien Michaelis, who wrote a classification of demons in Hell. *Both Azzurro Vanel and Grell Sutcliff have compared him to Romeo, which is strange, seeing as he has little in common with the well-known character. References Navigation Category:Characters Category:Phantomhive household Category:Noah's Ark Circus